Breath of Fresh Air
by Rhianonymous
Summary: After moving to a new city, Dan ends up hanging around with the 'popular' group who treat him more like a personal assistant than a person. Bag carrier, Coffee runs, even asking guys out for them. The pack leader asks him to chat up a guy for her at a coffee shop one day, but something unusual happens… Au. Fluff.


**Pairing** - Phan

**Warnings** -None. Fluff. Bitchy friends?

Summary - After moving to a new city, Dan ends up hanging around with the 'popular' group who treat him more like a personal assistant then a person. Bag carrier, Coffee runs, even asking guys out for them. The pack leader asks him to chat up a guy for her at a coffee shop one day, but something unusual happens…

* * *

"Dan, our order's ready." Catrin barks, gesturing with a manicured nail to the Starbucks counter where six freshly made coffee's lay on a waiting tray.

"Okay." I answer quickly, jumping up from my seat and collecting the order. I return to the table, handing out the coffees to the respective consumer, accidentally spilling a few drops onto the table.

"Ugh Dan, for gods sake!" One of the group of girls grumbles, recoiling from the table like one of the coffee drops was going to defy physics and launch itself at her designer blouse.

"Dan, napkins." Catrin demands. "Now."

"Of course." I obey, making my way to the counter to grab a few napkins. Now you may be wondering why I'm hanging out with this group of girls if they're so rude to me. Before you ask no, one of them isn't my girlfriend. This isn't one of these pussy-whipped type of things.

No, I'm as gay as a double rainbow flowing from a unicorns ass. No, the reason I hang out with them… is because I have no other option to be blatantly honest.

I moved here a few months ago, half way through the educational year after growing tired of being bullied relentlessly at my university in Manchester.

It's always hard being the new guy, especially when you're the new guy who wears skinny jeans, has a long fringe and a tendency to wear leather somewhere on their body. The first few weeks were…lonely to say the least. So when someone popular offers you their hand in friendship or at the very least a group of people to clutch to, then you take it. Even if that hand is perfectly manicured and has an attitude problem attached.

I sigh heavily, sitting back at the table and mopping up the spilt coffee.

"God, Cheer up Dan. Your negative energy is such a downer." Bianca, Catrin's head crony whines, sipping at her black coffee delicately. I frown bitterly, imagining a million ways I could ruin her perfectly groomed hair right there and then.

I bite my tongue and sip at my macchiato quietly zoning out of the conversation, only paying attention again when my names hissed a few times.

"Hm?" I answer absentmindedly.

"Have you not been listening?" Catrin scoffs indignantly, crossing her arms. "There's a hot guy over there."

I look in the direction she gestures, seeing an over muscled guy sat at an empty table, clearly checking Catrin out.

"And?" I ask, turning back to the group.

"Don't 'and' me. Go over there and do your thing." She demands, glaring at me. I heave myself up with a sigh, brushing down my shirt gently. A few weeks into knowing them, the girls discovered my secret talent for chatting people up. Not for myself, god no, i'm hopeless at that. But if it's for someone else, then i'm confident enough to say I could even get a troll a date to the prom.

Catrin especially likes to take advantage of this fact, having me sort her dates out for her with whichever guy catches her eye.

With one last breath I paste a confident smirk on my face, sliding into the seat opposite the guy.

"So…" I start, raising my eyebrow gently. "I see you were checking out my friend Catrin over there."

The guy clears his throat nervously, turning in his seat to face me.

"Look man, If she's your girlfriend I didn't mean anything by it. I was just looking." He defends, holding his hands up in a calming gesture. I hold back my snort of amusement at his assumption that I'd have any sort of involvement romantically with Catrin.

"No man, Its cool. She isn't my girlfriend." I assure him, leaning forward in my seat like I was about to tell him a secret. "In fact, I happen to know that she's into you."

"Really?" He asks happily, looking over his shoulder at Catrin. She was fake-laughing with her friends, holding herself in a picture perfect pose with practiced ease.

"Really. In fact, she told me that she wants to go out with you this friday." I continue, nodding along earnestly.

"She said that?" He smiles in disbelief. "Okay, yeah. Awesome. This friday at 7 then? I'll meet her at the bowling alley in town?"

"I'll be sure to tell her." I agree, standing up from the table now that my work was done. "What should I say your name is?"

"Oh, I'm Mark." He answers, saluting me with two fingers against his forehead casually.

"Okay then Mark, She'll see you there." I confirm, turning to leave.

"Hey wait." He says quickly, making me turn back to him. "Thanks man."

I smile in response, feeling a little guilty. He seems like a pretty nice guy, and it's no secret that Catrin is a bit of a man eater.

I make my way back to the table, the rest of the girls already having finished their coffee and grabbing their bags.

"So, when are we going out?" Catrin asks expectantly, dabbing at the corner of her mouth with a napkin.

"Friday at 7. He'll meet you at the bowling alley." I answer immediately, looking wistfully at my now cold macchiato.

"Do you have any sense at all?" Catrin groans, rolling her eyes dramatically. "I'll have to cancel my six o'clock hair appointment now. God, you can't do anything right."

"Sorry…" I mumble, wishing I could tell her what I really think of her.

"Whatever." She sighs, clicking her tongue. "We gotta go, River Island closes soon."

The group flounces after her leaving me to catch up, a little piece of my heart going out to my stone cold coffee.

It's barely a week later that I'm in pretty much the same situation, only this time it's a costa. We're sat around a large table, the girls discussing Catrin's date.

"Oh my gosh you guys, you don't understand. He was so squeaky clean. Like, he didn't even kiss me at the end of the night or try to cop a feel!" She complains, stirring her drink angrily.

"Oh my god, is he gay?" Bianca scoffs, making me glare at her sharply.

"Maybe he's just a decent guy, who want's to get to know you first?" I offer, my head swimming in irritation.

"Well, I haven't got time for that shit." Catrin scoffs, flicking her hair over shoulder. "Do you guys know of any talent at the uni?"

I slouch back in my seat, not wanting to focus on the dumb conversation any longer. I let my eyes roam the quiet shop, soon landing on a guy sitting in the far corner of the room. He has shiny black hair, in a style much similar to my own and he's typing on a laptop intently. I let my eyes linger for a few moments, turning away before he can catch me looking at him. I tune in on the conversation again for a few moments, finding them debating over who's hottest on the football team and zoning out quickly.

I look at the painting on the wall opposite me before my eye's are drawn to the same guy again. This time when my eyes land on him they are met with a bright blue, making me jump slightly. He winks at me immediately, smiling when I blush in response. I look away in embarrassment, pretending to be interested in the conversation at hand. I let the girls yabber on, fighting the urge to look back at the attractive guy again when one of the girls speaks up suddenly.

"Hot guy alert." She sings, getting the groups attention.

"Where?" Catrin asks eagerly, glancing around.

"Far corner, next to the window." She replies, sipping at her drink casually. "He's been checking you out for a while."

Catrin glances over and I risk a look, my stomach twisting unusually when I realise they are talking about the blue eyed guy. Of course he was checking Catrin out, why on earth would he be looking at me?

"Hmm… Not bad." Catrin considers, nodding her head in satisfaction. "Not my usual standard, but cute enough."

I look at her sceptically, knowing a drop dead gorgeous guy when I see one.

"Well, c'mon then Dan, off you go." Catrin says, making shooing motions with her hands.

"Wait, What?" I ask in panic, hoping she wasn't suggesting that I-

"Go ask him out for me." She drawls with a raised eyebrow, looking at me like I was stupid.

"Wouldn't you rather do it yourself this time? You know, make a good first impression?" I try, knowing it wouldn't work.

"Oh god no. Why else would you be here?" She laughs, sipping at her drink. "Off you pop."

I sigh in frustration, resisting the urge to bang my head against the table. I heave myself up, taking slow steps toward the dark haired mans table. I clear my throat as I approach, getting the guys attention.

He beams up at me, pushing the laptop away from himself slightly.

"Hello!" he chirps brightly, a smile still plastered on his face.

"Uh, Hi…" I reply lamely, internally face palming. "Mind if I sit?"

"By all means." He agrees, gesturing to the vacant seat opposite him. I sit myself down, readying myself for the usual routine.

"So…" I start, trying to make myself more casual. "I saw you looking at my friend Catrin over there."

He looks at me in confusion, glancing over to the table I came from.

"I was?" he asks unsurely, looking back at me.

"Pretty girl isn't she?" I smile, winking at him knowingly.

"Uh sure I guess…" He mumbles, glancing at her fleetingly with a slight frown.

"She's the captain of the dance squad you know?" I offer, trying to sell Catrin to the best of my ability.

"Really? That's great." He says distractedly, placing an elbow on the table and leaning towards me slightly. "So, what did you say your name was?"

"M-me?" I ask in surprise, not used to anyone wanting to know my name. He nods his head, looking expectant.

"I'm Dan." I answer, fighting a blush at the attention.

"That's a lovely name. It suits you." He grins, sipping at his coffee. "I'm Phil."

"Phil…" I mutter, trying the name on for size. He smiles in response, running his hand through his hair quickly.

"Well, Phil, Catrin's a really nice girl." I lie smoothly, trying to get back to my usual routine. "And I happen to know that she's very interested in you."

He looks at me skeptically before laughing loudly, his tongue poking out from his mouth slightly.

"What's so funny?" I ask in confusion, at a loss for what caused the reaction.

"Nothing, nothing." He giggles, calming down slightly. "I'm afraid you'll have to tell Catrin that while I am flattered, I am not interested in her in any way."

I look at him blankly for a while, confusion clouding my thoughts.

"What? But you were checking her out!" I burst, leaning towards him over the table. He smiles at my reaction, shaking his head softly.

"I was checking someone out, but it wasn't her." He says vaguely, leaning back in his seat with his drink. I look over to the table quickly, instantly met with Catrin's irritated stare. I ignore it for the time being to scan over the other occupants, wondering who had caught Phil's eye.

"Was is Bianca? She's great too, very smart." I try, turning back to Phil to see him shaking his head.

"Nope. You only have two more tries to get it right or you face a forfeit." He grins.

"Wait, Forfeit? What forfeit?" I squeak, turning to him.

"You'll have to wait and see." Phil winks, going back to drinking his coffee innocently.

"Okay… Casey. The red head." I try, groaning when Phil shakes his head once again.

"Bzzt Bzzt. Wrong answer." He teases, closing his laptops lid now that it has gone to screen saver mode. "One guess remaining."

I snap my head to the table of girls with determination, scanning them individually.

"Okay, Leah. It has to be Leah, she has great legs." I say proudly, confident in my answer. Phil looks shocked by my answer and i'm about to cheer in victory before his face splits into a smile.

"Wrong again." He giggles, shaking his head, I look at him in disbelief, now at a complete loss.

"Okay fine, put me out of my misery. Who were you checking out?" I ask, genuinely interested. He points to the wall next to me, making me turn my head to follow his gesture. I meet my own brown eyes in the reflection of one of the decorative mirrors placed around the cafe. I look at my own face in shock for a while, turning back to Phil slowly.

"You were… checking **me** out?" I ask in disbelief, not daring it to be true.

"Ding ding ding, Give the boy a prize!" Phil giggles, covering his poking out tongue with his hand.

"B-But you can't have been checking me out!" I protest, my face heating up immediately.

"Why not?" He asks, laying one arm across the other and propping his head up with the other.

"Because you- you're so… And i'm just…me." I stutter, looking down at the table in front of me.

"And that's exactly why I was checking you out." Phil grins, moving his hand across the table to place over mine gently. "You're not very good at noticing when people flirt with you, are you?"

A smile tugs at the corner of my lips as I shake my head, no matter how much I try to suppress it.

"So tell me…" Phil starts, watching me intently. "Why is it, that you came over here to ask me out on someone's behalf?"

I scowl slightly at the question, the answer not exactly enjoyable.

"My friends always make me ask out guys they like for them, it's one of the reasons they let me hang out with them." I answer, surprised at my own honesty.

"They sound like bad friends then." Phil frowns, glancing over at them sneakily.

"Yeah well, I use the term friend loosely. And it beats being alone." I say bitterly, grinning when Phil squeezes my hand gently.

"So, are you ready to hear your forfeit?" He asks, moving to lean back in his chair lazily.

"Go on then." I smile shyly, placing my hands back in my lap. "What is it? Buy you another coffee? Shout the word Penis as loud as I can in a public place?"

"As fun as those both sound, no." Phil giggles, shaking his head almost fondly. "Your forfeit Dan, if you choose to accept it is…"

"Yeah?" I ask wearily.

"To go to dinner with me." He beams, sitting up straighter in his chair. I feel heat rush to my face again, making me want to bury my face in my hands.

"That's not exactly a forfeit is it?" I mumble, looking up at him shyly.

"Can I take that as a yes?" He asks hopefully, tilting his head towards me.

"You can." I nod, smiling at his answering beam.

"Well, I'm feeling pretty hungry right now, what about you?" He asks, hinting at me.

"Starved." I laugh, standing up when he does. "Just let me go grab my jacket."

"I'll wait by the door." He agrees. I make my way back to the table, meeting the icy glares of Bianca and Catrin.

"Well?" She asks expectantly, drumming her nails against the table.

"Well, what?" I ask confused.

"When are we going out?" She asks like i'm stupid.

"Oh! He wasn't interested. Sorry." I apologise, trying my best to sound genuine.

"What do you mean he wasn't interested? Of course he was, he was checking me out." She hisses, a frown marring her face.

"Actually, turns out it was me he was checking out." I grin, glancing to the door to see Phil waiting for me.

"Ha! As if he would actually be looking at you!" Bianca scoffs with the other girls giggling along, That alone proving to me that their 'friendship' wasn't worth anything.

"Well, turns out he was." I smirk, having enough of them. "We're actually going out to dinner, and I'm going to enjoy every second that i'm not in your company."

They all look at me in shock as I lean over the table to grab my jacket, shrugging it on quickly.

"And before I go…" I start, not doing anything by halves. "You're a bitch, You're a slut, and you all deserve each other."

I hear them squawk indignantly as I walk way, not wasting my time in turning back. As I reach Phil he looks over my shoulder at the commotion, amusement clear on his face.

"Ready to go?" He asks, holding the door open for me.

"God yes." I smile, taking in a breath of fresh air.


End file.
